


Royalty

by MerryAJerry



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Fantasy, M/M, Pirates, Romance, mermaid
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-12
Updated: 2019-07-31
Packaged: 2019-09-17 01:29:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 18,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16965162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MerryAJerry/pseuds/MerryAJerry
Summary: Mermaids are rare and sought-after creatures. Kuroko, a merman, longs to be free of his shackles. The past eight years Kuroko has been trapped and kept like a doll by a rich lord. All he wants is to be free to explore the outside world; feel the sea run through his hair as he beats his tail fin on the water. When he finally gets his chance at escape, he runs into a colorful group of seemingly ruthless pirates that claim him for themselves. Experiencing life for all that it is, Kuroko will have to deal with pirates, an army and its king, and hunters as well as his own feelings and past in order to live the way he wants to.Inspired by "Kaizoku to Ningyo"





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to Royalty! This is my very first fanfic or work ever for that matter. I will try to update every week, but if it gets overwhelming I'll figure another schedule out. Please leave comments because your feedback will really help me out. I hope you enjoy!

There was once a time when beings of legend lived alongside mankind. Among these mythical creatures, the mermaids were said to be the rarest. The mere-people were well known for many things, but chief among them was their snow-white hair that changed to brilliant and vibrant hues only with water from the sea. Not only were their flowing locks a sight to behold, but their otherworldly voices captivated any who heard it.

This peaceful coexistence was enjoyed for a while, however eventually one race grew prideful and greedy. Mankind sought to control all other beings and the mermaids suffered the worst of their cruel acts. Initially, the mere kingdom was attacked for their advanced knowledge in healing techniques. The Mere-kingdom eventually fell, and their healing techniques were lost. Some of the remaining mermaids were said to have left the sea to hide among the humans because a mermaid’s tail was replaced by human legs outside of salt water, while others were reported to have fled to waters unreachable by man. After generations, the legend of the mermaids healing became twisted. Mermaid hair and scales were thought to be a “cure for all ails” and the remaining mermaids were hunted and killed by pirates. The rare mermaids now became even rarer. Due to their beauty and rarity, the remaining mermaids were bought and sold on the black market to the aristocrats and nobility, locked in display cases as if they were pieces of a collection. Such is the world today. A cruel place where a rare sea flower is caged away from its soil.


	2. Finest Azure Blue Silk

“You look beautiful today as well my little mermaid!”

Kuroko shuddered at that. Every day the lord of the island came to him just to admire his beauty. Some days Kuroko would be lucky, and the lord would be too busy to stay for long. Although, those days were rare. Most days, the lord forced Kuroko into a cage within his office, where he would do his work, eat his meals, and spend his free time. Kuroko wasn’t even sure where in the castle he was, as he was limited to the cage and his locked room. He just knew it was deep within the castle and in a tall tower because the one time he had managed to escape, he traversed down countless steps before becoming hopelessly lost in a labyrinth of stone before he was caught and never in that time did he see an exit.

“Are you ready for the festival tomorrow, my pet?”

Kuroko didn’t respond. He didn’t like to give Lord Matsuoka the pleasure of hearing his voice unless he absolutely had to. One time after the lord had overheard Kuroko singing to pass the time and described his voice as angelic. Ever since then, Kuroko abstained from talking or singing unless he was forced into it through methods he’d rather not recall.

“I had the most expensive silk I could find woven into a wonderful garment and jewels highlighting those shimmering scales of yours. I also know the townspeople can’t wait to hear your heavenly singing.”

This was Kuroko’s life. Being dressed up as if he were a doll. Locked behind bars and bound with chains around his ankles. Made to sing year after year like a puppet for his master. That was all he was. A piece of art on a wall the lord would boast and brag about to anyone and everyone.

How many times had he wanted to give up on ever living a free life? Too many. Yet he never could. His spirit wouldn’t let him give in. He dreamed, longed to see the world outside of these four walls he was thoroughly familiar with and it was a dream he would never let go of until his dying breath. He just couldn’t. Not when the sea kept beckoning to him.

* * *

 

The next day the town square was filled with stalls, shopkeepers hoping to sell their wares or chefs trying to promote their food. A stage was also set up for different performers entertaining festival goers as well as the aristocracy. A throne for the lord was placed nearby on a slightly lower yet still risen platform with a large circular bird cage next to it for the prized mermaid to reside in during the festivities.

Many nobles had been invited to the island by the lord himself. All of which made their presence known to him, hoping to sneak a peak of his prized possession if they hadn’t already seen it.

Kuroko had been woken up early that morning to get ready. Adorned in the finest azure blue silk, that was stitched into a deep V-neck off the shoulder dress that was draped around his torso with two slits on each side of his legs so that the smooth, milky white skin of his leg was revealed to all. He had jewels to embellish the places the dress didn’t. A long series of sapphire necklaces travelled down his exposed neck and chest, while a bracelet with attached rings covered the backsides of both his hands. Even his head hadn’t escaped the ornate decorations as a diamond head piece graced his styled locks.

Initially, Kuroko was thankful to finally be out of his prison. It had been years since he was last allowed outside of the castle walls. However, he quickly dismissed those thoughts. From almost sunrise to sunset Kuroko was drenched in sea water so that his snowy hair became even more luminescent, revealing its true color, and the scales on his arms, legs, and chest glistened in the sunlight. Even more, he was made to sing over and over again. Each time a different noble came to introduce themselves he had to share his siren song. If his animosity for sharing his song with the lord was bad, then it only grew the more people he had to sing for.

To Lord Matsuoka’s satisfaction, the entire town and all the aristocrats where astonished by his most prized mermaid, as many hadn’t seen one due to the rarity. The presence of the mermaid had brought in many travelers with the desire to witness a near extinct being.

During one of Kuroko’s renditions and unbeknownst to him, five shadowy figures watched him from the crowd. One of them smirked before turning to leave, the other four trailing behind him.

* * *

 

By the time Kuroko returned to his cell, he was chilled to the bone. His throat was sore and voice scratchy from overuse. In this state, he seemed as if he was about to collapse, but his cerulean eyes held a fire in them that refused to be extinguished. His preparations were finally complete. As he was led through the maze-like halls to his cage this morning, he had made a point of memorizing every twist and turn he had taken. With a map to the outside, he could escape this hell he has been in for the past eight years. All he needed now was a distraction.

Almost as if on cue, Kuroko heard the scuffle of numerous shoes and the clanging of weapons outside the door.

“INTRUDERS IN THE CASTLE,” shouted one of the soldiers.

 He forced himself onto his unsteady and throbbing feet and willed his shivering body towards the door of his prison.

* * *

 

Minutes later, Kuroko was out of his cell and cautiously making his way through the winding hallways. He had managed to find a cloak to cover his body and hair. As he turned a corner, he heard some men running towards him. His heart pounded as he ducked back the way he came, clutching the cloak closer to his body and forcing his presence to become almost nonexistent, he hugged the wall and hoped for the best. The soldiers were too preoccupied with their task to notice him and passed right by him.

As he was about to take a step to continue on, his sight grew blurry and his head felt dizzy. He stumbled, grabbing onto the wall for support. Kuroko closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“Just a bit further,” he mumbled to himself.

When his eyes opened again, his vision cleared and he advanced, weaving through all the turns he had catalogued previously.

He took the final turn and was almost to the massive wooden doors that made out the castle entrance when he heard it.

“OVER THERE,” screamed one of the men as he pointed directly at Kuroko.

Kuroko bolted. Adrenaline pumped through his veins as the soldiers were hot on his tail. However, in the chase, Kuroko hadn’t played attention to the path he was taking and was now lost. He went through some double doors into a room that looked like a grand ballroom with a massive diamond chandelier on the ceiling and plenty of room for dancing. The entire back wall was made up of windows and doors that led out onto a balcony. Surrounded, Kuroko made his way through the glass doors and onto the terrace. Two stories. That was the fall Kuroko would have to take to get to freedom and he sure as hell wasn’t about to let anything get in his way now. Kuroko could barely make out the demands of surrender the guards were giving him as his entire focus was on the short fall to freedom. The soldiers believed they had cornered him when to their surprise he jumped.

As he leapt over the stone railing, Kuroko’s eyes widened. Directly in his path was another cloaked figure, but it was too late to change his flight course now. Kuroko tried to scream at the figure to move but his raw throat wouldn’t cooperate, and only soft whimpers came out. Just as the figure turned in his direction, Kuroko collided with it.

_Get up Kuroko. Keep moving, I can’t stop now!_

Kuroko tried to motivate himself as he lifted his body from the person underneath him only to stumble back. The world began to spin as Kuroko crumbled to the ground. His eyes heavy, the last thing he managed to see before slipping into darkness a vibrant crimson.


	3. Fallen Angel

Incomprehensible murmurings and the shuffling of feet filled the crimson head’s ears as the delectable scent of food stalls wafted through his nose. Many vendors hollered out their bargains in an attempt to entice Akashi and his rainbow haired companions.

“~Aominecchi! Do you think this scarf brings out my eyes?!?!”, shouted the blonde.

“HUH? What do I care if it does or not Kise?”, the navy haired responded as he reached a tanned hand to his ear, picking at it with his pinky.

“Snacking while on a mission is disgraceful and unprofessional behavior nanodayo”, the emerald haired man scolded the lilac giant.

“~Eh~, is carrying around a ceramic frog statue any better Mido-chin?”, Murasakibara drawled as he popped another handful of chips into his mouth.

“Of course, bringing ones Oha Asa lucky item with them is a much more honorable endeavor. Cancer happens to be ranked third today, therefore my lucky item is essential in ensuring our success today”, Midorima noted as he pushed up his glasses with his index finger.

“Enough of this childishness!”, Akashi admonished. “We only have one purpose in being here and once we’ve achieved our goal we will depart from this atrocious place”

The colorful group flinched at his words and immediately followed after their captain as he turned on his heels from the stall and made his way to the stage at the center of the town.

Akashi remembered the intel a certain bubbly pinkette had passed along to him that intrigued him enough to travel to this god forsaken island.

“ _Akashi-kun!” her pink locks flowed as she ran up to the red head._

_"Momoi-san, I’m glad to see you’re doing well,” Akashi acknowledged._

_"Mo! Akashi-kun you work to hard. This is the first I’m seeing you in months. You need to give yourself a break!”._

_“I will be sure to when appropriate Momoi-san. You have something for me, do you not?”._

_"Eh~, how’d you know that Akashi-kun? Well, you’re right though. I found what you’ve been looking for!” the girl grinned while holding up her fingers to form a V_ _in front of her._

Akashi and his crew had rushed over to the location she had specified, working through the nights just to make it in time. All to finally have within his grasps the one thing that he had searched for and that had eluded him for years.

An almost celestial melody snapped Akashi from his thoughts as he found himself amongst a crowd seemingly hypnotized by an indistinguishable figure. It wasn’t until he caught a glimpse of glistening cerulean that he realized the ethereal tune was coming from the luminescent being trapped within bars of steel.

“Whoa! That boy can sing so well and he’s so pretty-ssu! Why’s he in a cage though,” Kise admired with sparkles in his eyes.

“Aho! That’s not just a boy. He’s a merman”, Midorima noted.

“Heh, Kise’s a baka,” Aomine chuckled to himself as he smacked Kise on the back of his head.

“Ittai! Ahominicchi, you’re one to talk”, Kise retorted.

Murasakibara just kept snacking on his chips while silently enjoying the mermaid’s song.

Meanwhile, the red head was too enraptured by the little mermaid to be bothered by his companions idiotic banter. He couldn’t quite make out the creature’s characteristics aside from the fact that it was adorned in blue silk and shimmering jewels, but from the voice alone Akashi knew. The edge of Akashi’s lips tugged upwards in a smile with much more sinister intentions as his eyes narrowed.

“Found you…” snickered the crimson leader as the others gulped and shuttered from the cold aura emanating from their captain.

* * *

As the sun began to set, the group of pirates gathered to put their plan into action.

“Are you all clear on the roles I expect you to fulfill?” Akashi inquired.

“Hai Akashi/Akashicchi/Akachin!” Aomine, Kise, and Murasakibara confirmed.

“Of course, do you even have to ask Akashi?”, Midorima questioned.

“I’m simply ensuring that everyone understands what is expected of them. I will tolerate no mistakes”.

With that, the five pirates made their way to the intimidating castle overlooking the town from the top of a hill.

* * *

 The two castle guards at the entry gates were making pointless conversation as a shadowy figure made its presence known before them.

“Who goes there?”, one of them shouted.

“Huh, don’t you know who I am? I was sure Lord Matsuoka would have notified you I was coming,” the blonde said as he approached them.

The guards looked at him, dressed in some of the finest clothes that only aristocracy could afford. When they finally met the blondes eyes, the golden, annoyed glare they received sent chills down their spines.

“Wh-who m-m-might you be? M-my lord has not made us aware of any v-visitors at this time of night”, the guard sputtered out.

“Aww~ this is a real pain. You were supposed to just let me in. Guess we will be doing this the hard way” the blonde stated as he continued approaching the two guards.

Just as they pointed their weapons at him, he swiftly made his way behind one. Before the guard knew what hit him, he found himself in a choke hold. He scrambled to hit his attacker but was unsuccessful and passed out due to lack of oxygen. The other guard ran at the man with his spear at the ready, but the blonde was too fast for him. The guard was on his back and had no time to processes what happened before he too was knocked unconscious.

“Kise, you took too long dealing with the and how many times do I have to tell you to quit using my moves! This is why you’re the weakest…” Aomine complained as he neared the aftermath.

“Hidoi Aominecchi!” Kise whined as he shed crocodile tears into his elbow crease. “Ah, wanna see who can take out more guards?” The blonde challenged as he began to drag the knocked-out guards somewhere they wouldn’t be seen.

“Hmm, interesting. Well, the only one who can beat me is me so of course I could take out more than you” Aomine stared down Kise.

“Let the games begin then!” Kise said while narrowing his eyes at Aomine.

The two exchanged criticisms as they made their way through the gates.

* * *

 “Honestly, what do those two idiots think they’re doing” Midorima muttered to himself shaking his head in disapproval while looking through the spyglass.

He peered down at the scene from the roof of one of the tall town buildings while on lookout for unforeseen circumstances that would cause the others to shift plans. It was his job to signal these changes in plans.

_Well, at least they’ve gotten through. Now all they have to do is complete their second objective so Akashi and Murasakibara can initiate their part of the heist. Those two idiots should at least manage that much._

Midorima thought as he continued observing the situation.

* * *

 A thunderous explosion erupted from within the castle alerting all the guards of intruders within the area. Castle guards began making their way to the sight, while others went to protect and notify the lord of the ongoing situation.

As some guards ran through the halls, their chainmail rattling as they ran, Murasakibara helped Akashi enter the castle from an open window on the second floor at the back of the castle. His giant height came in hand in these situations, although for a giant his footsteps were nothing compared to the sounds of his munching on mauibo.

“Atsushi, refrain from eating whilst we are within the castle walls” Akashi ordered.

“Hai~”. the giant obeyed, placing the packet back into his pocket.

“It’s as I predicted. The guards here aren’t sufficiently trained with dealing with a frontal attack. Their manpower is severely unbalanced” Akashi spoke more to himself than to his accomplice.

The two made their way to the section of the castle that was still relatively guarded, signaling its importance to them like a lighthouse to a ship in the dead of night. As they came around a door that led to one of the castle’s towers, the crimson head thought to himself, _the only place to keep a trapped yet treasured princess is a tower._ They made their way through the door and up the stairs. At first, Akashi was surprised the door to the staircase was open, but as they came up to the door leading into the tower’s room, he acknowledged that it was wide open. He quickened his pace up the remaining stairs and into the room with Murasakibara hot on his heels.

“Akachin~ nobody’s here, do you think we got the wrong room”

“I do not believe so Atsushi. While the room is vacant now, our prize was here previously. The garments it was wearing from the festival earlier are here”

_Could it have been taken somewhere else? Impossible, Matsuoka would have no further use for the creature at this time of night. Could it have escaped on its own? How entertaining…_

“Let us go Atsushi. We have no further purpose in being here and with no leads on where the treasure could have gone remaining within the castle would only prove fatal” Akashi calmly instructed before turning on his heels and making his way back through the doorway and down the steps.

They had reached the window they entered through with relatively little confrontation. Murasakibara lowered himself through first before making way for Akashi to exit. The two pirates had begun to retreat to the forest at the rear of the castle that they had emerged from when they heard it.

“STOP RIGHT THERE!” one guard yelled.

“You’re surrounded!” another stated.

Thinking they had been caught, the two turned around. What they weren’t expecting was a cloaked figure falling from a second story balcony and heading on a crash collision course with Akashi. Before either party could remedy the situation, the person fell right on top of red head.

“Akachin, you okay?” Murasakibara worriedly inquired as the soldiers began shouting about pursuing the intruders.

“I’m fine Atsushi” Akashi answered, his arms propping him up while the figure was lying on top of him recovering from the plunge.

The anonymous aerial assailant lifted himself from Akashi, but as soon as they were on their feet they collapsed again. As they crumpled to the ground, the hood of the cloak fell, revealing an ivory head of hair. Lidded teal eyes met Akashi’s heterochromatic ruby and amber ones then pressed shut. Akashi’s grin was sinister as he stared down at the small being before him.

 _A fallen angel huh…_ he thought. “It seems we found our hidden treasure. Atsushi grab it and let’s go. We have spent too much time here already”

The giant picked up the mermaid, who looked like a child in his hands, placing him over his shoulder then followed his captain as they left the castle grounds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How are you liking it so far? I'm most worried about getting each characters personalities right. It's unbelievably hard to make each personality stand out. Am I doing a good job so far? Also, I haven't decided on the pairings just yet. I know for sure the main pair is Akakuro, but aside from that I'm not sure what I'll do. If you have any suggestions let me know! I should update this again by next week. Thanks for reading!


	4. I'm A Merman!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

_Soft…and Warm,_ thought Kuroko as he finally surfaced from the recesses of his mind.

_Where am I again? Oh yeah, I’m still in the Lord’s castle. No…wait. Wasn’t I running away from that horrid place?_

Kuroko’s eyes flew open and his body jolted up into a sitting position. Immediately, the world spun around him and he felt the bile rise in his throat. Pressing his eyes closed once again, he reached up and held his head in one hand, while the other kept him propped up on the mattress.

“That was quite foolish, was it not?” a stern voice startled Kuroko.

Daring to open his eyes once more, Kuroko set his sight on the emerald haired man in front of him.

“Lay back down. You are still unwell,” the man said to him.

“Who are you? Where am I?” Kuroko interrogated.

The bespectacled man slowly approached the merman with both hands in front of him, signifying that he meant no harm.

“Your questions will be answered, but not until you lie back and allow me to conduct a thorough examination of your health.”

“Why should I let you? Where you sent by the Lord? Am I back in the castle?” Kuroko pressed on, his breath shortening and becoming more rapid.

Recognizing the signs of a panic attack, the green head was quick to reassure his patient.

“I can assure you, you are no longer under the possession of that nobleman. I am a trained physician so please, calm down and allow me to conduct a physical exam”.

Kuroko took deep breaths to calm himself. “Very well. I’ll allow it,” the merman stated, “but only if you answer my questions as you go.”

“Very well,” the doctor said as he fished for a thermometer from a black leather bag.

He placed the thermometer underneath Kuroko’s tongue. Just as Kuroko began to protest, he started to speak once again.

“My name is Midorima Shintarou. As for where you are, I am not permitted to tell you just yet. However, you can rest assured that your escape attempt was successful.”

The thermometer was pulled from Kuroko’s mouth and Midorima took note of the result.

“How’d I get to wherever this is then? What happened? All I can remember is breaking out of that godforsaken room I’ve been kept in, then running from the lord’s men until…until I reached a balcony. I jumped and…and then I woke up here.”

“My companions brought you here,” the green head stated as he continued with the examination. “In fact, from what I heard you happened to fall on one of them. You passed out and they brought you here with a terrible fever.” Midorima paused for moment before adding, “Just how long had you been trapped there, not that I care or anything.”

 _If you don’t care, then why ask_?

“I was taken there when I was…eight so eight years I guess.”

_To have been imprisoned all those years…especially during its adolescence._

Midorima’s eyes softened for a moment before returning to their usual impassive stare. He then focused on finishing up his inspection as a stiff silence fell between the two.

“The fever seems to have gone down, but your temperature is still a bit too high. Aside from the fever, nothing else appears to be wrong. You’re lucky, falling from a height like that could have caused a more serious injury. You just need rest and some nutrition,” said Midorima as he packed up his medical kit. “Someone will be by to give you some food. For now, rest.”

Midorima made his way to the door and out of the room before Kuroko even had a chance to protest. The door shut and a distinct clicking sound let Kuroko know the door was locked. Kuroko sighed.

_I guess I didn’t escape very far._

His eyes shifted as they began to take in his surroundings. The room was an average size. The bed propped up against the wall to the left of the door, with two tables on either side of it. The bedding was a bright ruby red color and extremely soft. There really were no other defining characteristics to the room. No decorations, except for a circular window to the right of the bed. Unfortunately, it didn’t look big enough for Kuroko to fit through.

There was however one thing Kuroko had noticed since waking up. A feeling Kuroko sensed within himself. An uncanny urge that itched at the back of his consciousness. A need to swim to his hearts content. This feeling was extremely familiar, but he hadn’t felt it in far too long. He smiled to himself as he lay back down on the bed. His last coherent thought before sleep overtook him.

_I must be near the ocean._

* * *

 Kuroko rolled over onto his side, cuddling closer to a rather large pillow at his side.

 _A warm pillow_ , Kuroko acknowledged as he squirmed closer to the source of heat. Chuckles soon sounded throughout the room as the pillow seemed to move in accordance with said snickering. Kuroko’s eyes fluttered open.

“You’re awake I see. Did you have a good rest?” rang a nearby voice.

Kuroko’s teal eyes widened as he slowly realized the pillow he was snuggled against was in fact a firm chest. He lifted his head up only to see a person staring back down at him.

“AH!” Kuroko shouted as he scrambled out of the bed but ended up falling flat on his butt with a loud bang as his legs weren’t sturdy enough to hold his weight just yet.

“Who are you? Why were you in bed with me?” the blue-eyed boy inquired as he regained his expressionless composure.

Akashi raised an eyebrow at that. In his eyes, Kuroko was the equivalent of a doll. What right did something like that have to talk to him?

“Should a thing like you really ask for one’s identity before at the very least introducing yourself? Well, no matter, I’ll chalk your impolite behavior up to shock. I shouldn’t really expect manners from an object anyway. My name is Akashi Seijuurou, and this is my bed. Therefore, it was you who was in bed with me.”

Kuroko’s fist tightened at his side as he took a moment to process exactly what was going on. Then he got up and bowed slightly. Kuroko narrowed his eyes as he kept his expression blank.

“You are right. I apologize for my rude manners. My name is Kuroko Tetsuya. I would say it’s a pleasure to meet you but I’m unclear as to whether that’s true or not. People who treat others as objects can’t be all that pleasing.”

Akashi’s eyes seemed to glisten as his lips tugged upwards into a smirk. _It’s rather cheeky isn’t it_? He thought.

Meanwhile, Kuroko was busy observing every detail of the crimson head in front of him. He was a little taller than Kuroko, but his body was less slender and more muscular. He had an air about him that exuded authority and his presence seemed to bring a thick tension to the room but none of this bothered Kuroko. In fact, it was his cat-like eyes, the flaming lava in one eye and the glowing sun in the other, that drew Kuroko in the most.  

_His eyes are different colors…it’s beautiful. Too bad he doesn’t have the personality to match._

Suddenly, the door slammed open and two large individuals burst into the room, sabres at the ready, breaking Kuroko out of his thoughts.

“AKASHICCHI! Did you die!?! A ship can’t sail without its captain!” A blonde shouted over dramatically as he ran towards Akashi crying tears that seemed fake to Kuroko.

“Oi, Akashi. You ‘kay?” the other, tanned, man yelled seeming less concerned and more annoyed with having to check on Akashi’s well-being.

 _Ship? Captain? Are those swords?_ Kuroko pondered as his cerulean eyes shifted between the heterochromatic man he woke up in bed with and the two loudmouths that had stormed in. _They aren’t wearing any uniforms though…_

“You’re the bandits that stormed the castle.” A statement not a question.

Akashi smirked. _It figured that out already. It’s rather observant._

As the two giants fussed over their captain, Kuroko’s heart began racing. One-word ringing in his head. Pirates. This situation was worse than he previously thought. He had to get out of here and fast.

Kuroko noticed the men in the room were distracted and lowered his presence as much as he could. He figured Akashi was the only one who knew he was there anyways as the other two hadn’t even cast him a spare glance. Swiftly, he ran through the door before anyone could catch him. He heard shouting behind him as he quickened his pace up the steps at the end of the hallway and exploded out the door at the top.

A salty breeze blew onto Kuroko’s face, the warmth of the sun soaking into his skin, but he spent no time basking in it. He kept running until he reached the starboard side of the massive ship and began to climb the bannister. However, a firm hand came down on Kuroko’s shoulders planting his feet firmly to the ground.

“Akashi!” The midnight blue haired man’s deep voice echoed throughout the ship. “Quickly, pull it away from the edge before it jumps over and swims away!”

“Worry not. It won’t be going anywhere. It may be a mermaid but it’s severely out of practice and I doubt it would get very far before tiring out. That short run already drained it. Besides, it has little to no experience with the sea and her countless dangers.” Akashi’s stern, all-knowing voice spoke near Kuroko’s ear.

_I know…I already know all that. But…_

Kuroko could feel tears of frustration sting his eyes as he started to realize the exact situation, he was in. Not only was he stuck on a ship full of pirates that would most likely sell him on the black market, he was also in the middle of the ocean with no means of escaping. His body stiffened as he turned around to meet the captain’s eyes.

“Merman,” Kuroko corrected quietly but firmly, removing Akashi’s hand. He knew Akashi heard him the first time, but his pride swelled, and he felt the need to correct him for the whole world to hear.

“I’m not a thing. I’m not an object. I’m not some expensive trinket in a display case. And I’m not a mermaid. I’m a person and more importantly, I’m a merman!” he shouted with dignity just as a wave of salty sea water crashed into the side of the boat, raining down on Kuroko revealing a head of brilliant azure blue hair.

It was as if everything stilled in that moment. The group of pirates that had accumulated on the deck due to the earlier commotion froze at the scene. They had never seen such dazzling sky-blue hair. Merfolk were known for vibrant shaded hair, but never had they heard of one possessing such a radiant blue.

 _Amazing!_ Kise admired with hearts practically in his eyes.

 _Pretty…_ Aomine thought.

 _Fascinating_ , Midorima tried to remain impartial.

 _Looks tasty_ , Murasakibara acknowledged as he began to fantasize about cotton candy.

Even Akashi couldn’t have predicted this scene before him. The merman looked so magnificent. Long, luminous, lazuline hair flowing in the wind. Shining, diamond-like scales scattered along milky-white skin gleaming in the sun. Among his overwhelming beauty, Akashi found he couldn’t look away from his cobalt eyes that had a fire behind them, burning hope and resilience.

“You probably think that you’ll get a large payout by selling me. The lord always told me how rare my true color was. He ‘had to pay a hefty sum, but anything would have been worth it’ he always said. You won’t succeed though.” Kuroko broke the men out of their reverie.

Akashi quickly collected himself. “As tempting as that may seem, selling you is not my intention,” he informed as he ran a hand through his ruby locks.

“Unless your intention is to let me go, then I shall kindly refuse to comply with whatever plans you may have for me. I will never give up on gaining freedom,” Kuroko defiantly stated.

Akashi had to admire the merman’s fighting spirit. “I can see that. Then, why don’t we make a deal? I allow you to freely move about the vessel during our journey and in return you behave in a cooperative manner.”

“Akashi, I don’t think tha-” the green head was frozen in place by an icy glare sent by his captain.

“Do we have a deal?” The captain held out his hand to the young merman.

“No matter what I will break free!” Kuroko stood firm.

“You are more than welcome to try during your time with us,” the red head sinisterly grinned.

Taking it as a challenge, Kuroko reached out and shook hands with the captain. As the rest of the crew gathered around their captain and the merman, Akashi thought to himself.

_This boy… **he’s** interesting._

* * *

 Soldier’s stomped through a muddy puddle in the port, the lord’s insignia displayed on their uniforms.

“Keep searching! The lord’s precious mermaid couldn’t have gotten far!” one shouted out.

“It’s got to be around here somewhere!” Another stated.

“Have you seen a white-haired merchild running around?” Other’s questioned people passing by.

A shrouded figure made his way through the crowd, listening to the disruption the Lord’s men were kicking up as they scoured the island for their master’s most prized possession. One thing catching the shadow’s ear as he stopped to listen in.

“…has blue hair when wet with salt water and it…” a distant guard described to someone he was probably questioning.

 _Blue hair…_ resonated in the shadows head.

“Dammit!” The concealed man punched a nearby wall. “Am I too late? Is the child no longer here? I will find you. I swear it.” The stranger promised, as he continued to gather as much information as he could and considered his next move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who's this new mysterious stranger and why is he tailing our precious Kuroko??? What are your thoughts?  
> Sorry this chapter took so long. I wanted to make sure it made sense and didn't get too confusing. I hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading!


	5. Your True Smile

Kuroko was sitting at the edge of the bow of the ship feeling the wind brush through his hair, which had since dried and reverted to a pure white. His eyes were closed as he let the warmth of the sun bleed through his skin. The sound of the waves slapping against the side of the ship filled his ears, further relaxing his more than stressed mind.

It had only been an hour or so since his confrontation with Akashi and already Kuroko was scheming. Coming up with ways of escape. He thought once he’d fled from the Lord that he’d be done planning. That he’d be free. However, that wasn’t the case and here he was again, trying to find a way off this pirate vessel.

_If I could just find away to test my fins in the water, then I could gauge how well my swimming is. From there, I could at least figure out whether swimming is a viable option._

Even though Akashi had said he wouldn’t have the stamina to withstand the swim it takes to escape, Kuroko would rather discern that for himself. Akashi could just be bluffing to keep him from attempting an escape.

_I could also wait until we get closer to land. Then my stamina wouldn’t matter. I just need to keep observing and then maybe then-_

“Mermaid-san!!!” a blonde head shouted, startling Kuroko out of his thoughts.

As soon as Kuroko turned his head towards the nuisance, the golden eyed pirate found himself stunned again at the boys attractiveness.

“Did you need something pirate-san?” Kuroko deadpanned. He was getting shivers from the creepy stare the blondie was giving him.

“Ah, Yes! Akashicchi asked me to keep an eye out for you and you seemed like you were about to try something standing here on the edge. My name’s Kise Ryouta by the way. Ne Ne~ What’s it like being a mermaid?” Kise said with a blinding smile.

“Merman” Kuroko glared.

“Yes Yes, Merman-san. What’s it like being a merman?”

“I’m not sure how to answer your question Kise-san”

“You know! What’s it like having a tail, breathing and swimming around in water??? That kinda stuff!!!” Kise smiled again.

“I wouldn’t know…” Kuroko said in a hushed whisper but Kise heard it.

“Hmmm?” Kise hummed inquisitively.

“I’ve never gotten to swim around in the water” Kuroko said with a straight face.

“Are- You ARE a mermai… merman,” Kise corrected himself “aren’t you? I mean your hair changed and everything.”

“Yes, I am. Unfortunately, I haven’t had any opportunities to stretch my tail. Aside from the fact that I’ve been imprisoned for the past eight years, as I’m sure you know, my kind are hunted. I couldn’t exactly go for a nightly swim” Kuroko sarcastically finished.

_Ah, this thing, it never even got a chance to stretch its legs. Kind of like a caged chicken that can’t even uses its damaged wings. Poor thing…_

Kise’s eyes softened for a moment. He wasn’t good at handling true emotions that well so he did what he did best. He deflected and changed the subject.

“Ne ne~ would you like a tour of the ship then? I could also show you where you’ll be sleeping since Akashicchi also asked me to do that”

Kuroko pondered this for a moment. He didn’t really like interacting with this “Kise” character. He seemed…off. In the end, Kuroko thought it better to get a good look of the ship. It would help him plan his escape.

“Very well Kise-san. Please show me the way.”

 

* * *

 

The ship was rather large for a pirate’s vessel and had been customized for the pirates use.  Underneath the deck, there were three levels that contained an artillery room, about five bedrooms, a clinic, a kitchen, a common room, and a small area with prison cells. Each pirate had their own dwellings which were personalized to there liking. Kise walked the halls with Kuroko showing him each and every room much to the annoyance of his fellow shipmates.

Immediately after descending the stairs from the deck was the artillery room that featured a total of five cannons on each side and a smaller room in the back for ammunition. The next level featured a long hallway with a series of rooms. The first rooms belonged to Aomine and Kise and were to the right and left respectively. Next came the clinic and kitchen. Midorima’s room was immediately after the clinic, which were connected for his convenience. Straight across was Murasakibara’s room, which wasn’t connected to the kitchen much to his dismay. The next doors down led to a common living room and a guest room, where Kuroko woke up and would be staying. The cells were on the bottom level, but despite that they were some of the most well-maintained cells Kuroko had seen.

Kuroko wondered where on earth these pirates had gotten hold of such a large vessel. Most pirate ships were much smaller as they were usually stolen, and smaller ships had less guards. Just how powerful was this group? As the two made there way back to the deck of the ship Kuroko noticed Kise hadn’t shown him Akashi’s room.

“Ano, Kise-san? Where is Akashi-san’s room? A ship as large as this and him being the captain, he must have one for himself”

“Of course he does! Akashicchi is our beloved and fearless leader so he has the grandest room fit only for a captain.” Kise exclaimed as he pointed towards the back of the boat where there were two staircases leading up to a raised deck where the wheel used to steer the boat was.

Underneath this raised area, was an ominous looking door that Kuroko assumed to be Akashi’s ‘grand room’. As Kuroko began walking towards it expecting Kise to show it to him as he done with all the other rooms, a hand took a hold of his forearm causing him to turn back towards Kise.

“We aren’t allowed to go into that room. Only Midorima and Akashi have access to it. Akashi get’s very angry at anyone who enters it. One time, Ahominicchi got curious and decided to investigate it,” Kise looked like he was taken back to that time and a shiver racked his body at the flashback. “Let’s just say, Aominecchi is still recovering from that incident.”

This annoyed Kuroko. Kise had literally shown him every detail of all the other rooms, right down to secret hiding places for Aomine’s dirty magazines (Kuroko was still confused as to what those even were), but Kuroko couldn’t see Akashi’s room.

_What was is he hiding in there and what makes him so special?_ Kuroko huffed in his head.

Still he conceded to Kise and turned his back to the captain’s quarters.

“So, Merman. What did you think of the ship? Who’s room was the best? I bet it was mine!!! No one has decorated there’s as fashionably as mine, right? C’mon Merman, say it!” Kise shouted with a huge grin plastered on his face. He was so loud the rest of the crew was also tuning in on the conversation.

Kuroko stared at Kise’s face for a while. He had been following Kise’s pointless drabble until Kise began smiling. Kuroko had seen this smile several times while being shown around, but he still couldn’t place what exactly was wrong with it. Not that Kuroko himself was familiar with smiling, but every time Kise flashed it his way Kuroko couldn’t help but feel like it was forced.

“Why?” Kuroko stated with a straight face.

“Huh?” Kise did a double-take.

“Umm…Why what?” Kise inquired.

“Why do you force yourself to smile like that? It’s so fake. It’s ugly.” Kuroko looked directly into Kise’s eyes as he said it, so he didn’t miss the widening of those golden eyes.

Kise was shocked to say the least.

_How did this thing see through that smile? Only one other has been able to do it and even then, it’s supposed to be a perfect replication of a regular smile!_

Akashi smirked to himself, having heard every word Kuroko had spoken.

_He figured that out rather fast._ Akashi thought almost as if he knew Kuroko would.

_Well Ryouta, what will you do now?_

Kise just kept staring at Kuroko trying to figure out if there was any way out of this.

“What are you talking about? This is my normal smile. Now why don’t you go back to you room and lie down some more. It seems you’re still unwell.” Kise retorted, attempting to change the subject.

However, Kuroko wasn’t willing to drop it.

“I feel just fine Kise-san. If that really is your true smile, then I feel extremely sad for you.”

Kise bowed his down, looking at the floor, his hair covering his face.

_What is this thing talking about? What does **he** know! He’s been trapped for forever there’s no way he even knows what a real happiness looks like. His expressions are so blank. How does he know a smile when he sees one? Why him? _

Kise’s mind was in turmoil. He couldn’t understand how Kuroko had seen through him. He didn’t want to admit how easily Kuroko had broken down his walls.

“Kise-san? Are you ok?” Kuroko was truly worried about the golden-haired pirate.

“Pftttt, Hahaha” Kise started…chuckling?

“Umm…Kise-san? Should I get Midorima-san?” Kuroko was starting to feel uncomfortable.

“AHAHAHA, Woo! Kurokocchi, You’re amazing!”

Kise lifted his head. Tears in his eyes from laughing so hard. His hands clutching his stomach. Kuroko started to back away, worried for his safety. After all, Kise had just gone from angry and annoyed to hysterics. Kise just reached out with his long arms and pulled Kuroko into a tight hug.

“Ah, Kurokocchi. Not only are you super cute, you’re also perceptive too huh? Ne, Ne Kurokocchi let’s be friends!!!”

“C-Can’t…Br-Breathe! Wait…Ku-kurokocchi?”

“Hmmm, Oh that’s just something I add to the names of people I respect. So, will you be my friend?”

“No, thank you. I don’t need your friendship…” Kuroko deadpanned.

“Hidoi-ssu!” Kise shouted as he cried crocodile tears.

“Kise-san, please unhand me.” Kuroko pleaded with little heart.

“You don’t have to be so formal Kurokocchi!”

“Then, Kise-kun. Please put me down.”

The others just watched the amusing scene unfold. It’s not everyday that someone manages to genuinely earn Kise’s friendship, no matter how friendly he seems. This was changing the rest of the crew’s opinions on the small merman. Whether they knew it or not.

 

* * *

 

A few hours later, at dusk, the crew and Kuroko had gathered in the living room to eat their dinner and hear the next plan of action from their captain.

“As you all know, we had to leave our home base rather hastily in order to reach the merman in time. Due to that fact, we had very little supplies and unfortunately do not have enough to make it back home. We will need to stop at one of the surrounding islands and restock. I have already consulted with Midorima and we have decided on an island about a day’s sail away. It is under the King’s control as are most of the islands in these parts, however it is not as highly patrolled as the others.” Akashi spoke.

Kuroko didn’t miss the sharpening of his heterochromatic eyes and darkening of his aura as he spoke of the king. He was more concerned with the fact that he was still being referred to as ‘the merman’ instead of his proper name.

“Akashi-san, I do have a name you know. Although, it seems Kise-kun is the only one to acknowledge it.”

Akashi turned to glare at the cerulean eyed boy before responding.

“I am well aware of your name, Tetsuya~, however, the others are not as familiar with you yet. Why don’t we go through some basic introductions seeing as how you’ll be with us for a while longer.”

Kuroko swallowed harshly.

_First name basis already. Well, at least his using my name._ Kuroko decided to just let it go. He had a feeling Akashi rarely gave in to people’s demands and would take what he could get at this point.

Meanwhile, the others gathered at the table were rather impressed with the merman. Not only had he demanded something of Akashi and received it. He also had withstood that glare without any signs of fear. Something they had yet to see from anyone. Midorima looked cautiously at Akashi only to find the most amused expression he had ever seen on the captain.

“Very well, My name is Kuroko Tetsuya. I apologize for being so forceful earlier. However, I am sick of being treated like a doll and would much prefer to be regarded as a person.”

_Or so I said…but I have a feeling I’m going to have to earn that right with these people._

“Well, I suppose I should go next seeing as how you’ve already spoken to Kise and Midorima earlier. Aomine Daiki’s the name. Try not to slow me down and we’ll get along just fine.”

“Huh? Mine-chin, that sounded so lame~,” Murasakibara drawled out in between munches. “I’m Murasakibara Atsushi.”

Kuroko bowed to the two before returning his focus to Akashi.

“Akashi-san. If I may, could I know your reason for capturing me? You don’t plan on selling me and you haven’t set me free. So, what exactly is my purpose in being here.”

“You will know when the time comes. As for your purpose, for now just sit there and look pretty.” Akashi grinned at the boy.

Kise interrupted Kuroko with a firm hug before he got a chance to fire back at the captain, rubbing his cheek against Kuroko’s and gushing over how adorable his disgruntled face looked.

Again, Midorima was surprised by this interaction. Akashi was being cheeky, whether Kuroko recognized it or not. Akashi has never behaved this way before, and it bothered Midorima. They had a reason for possessing the merman and it was best they not get to close. Kise was already a lost cause but Akashi could not afford the same mistake.

The rest of the dinner was spent with little chatter, minus Kise who kept interrogating Kuroko. After it was done, everyone either went to their rooms or their posts. Kuroko, exhausted from the eventful day and Kise’s chatter, collapsed into bed, falling asleep instantly.

 

* * *

 

The captain of one of the king’s naval ships made his way through the castle. He had been summoned by the King to receive orders for his crew. Now standing in front of the throne room his nerves went through the roof. He had never been in the king’s presence but from rumors alone he knew to tread lightly.

“You may enter.” The guard at the door told the captain, breaking him out of his thoughts and nerves.

“R-Right.” The captain said and proceeded to enter the room.

“Ah, Captain Hyuuga Junpei. It took you long enough.” The king sneered.

Hyuuga didn’t even raise his eyes to meet the kings. He simply walked up, stopping at the steps leading to the throne, and bowed in respect.

“Y-Your Majesty. How may I be of service?” Hyuuga responded, shaken by the heavy atmosphere the King possessed. He just kept his head bowed and waited for his orders.

“It seems Lord Matsuoka has misplaced one of his toys, a blue-haired mermaid. He has asked for our help and as the giving king I am I’ve decided to provide our assistance.  I would like you to retrieve it for him.” The king spoke.

Each word felt like it somehow weighed Hyuuga down. Hyuuga cleared his throat and hoped his voice didn’t fail him.

“Very well your majesty. Will that be all?”

“Yes. That is all. My advisor here will give you all the details. I expect you and your crew to depart immediately. We wouldn’t want to let that thing get any further than it has already.”

“Yes. Then, I shall take my leave your highness.” Hyuuga responded.

He got up and turned around, heading towards the door and thankful the conversation was over. Hyuuga felt like he could barely breathe around the king.

“Wait captain.” The king said in an amused tone.

Hyuuga halted but had yet to turn around. He waited with bated breath praying he hadn’t done anything wrong.

“On second thought, bring that merbeing to me first. I have never heard of a cerulean haired mermaid and would love to see such a creature for myself.”

“Yes, of course your majesty.” Hyuuga said with another bow, then made his way out of the room.

He never did get a good look at the king, but it didn’t matter to him. He had a crew to brief and a new mission to quickly set out on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is this king good or bad? What exactly are Akashi's plans for Kuroko? Will Kuroko be able to gain everyone's trust? 
> 
> I'm really sorry this update took so long. I honestly can't say when the next one will be out. I hope soon. I already have it outlined so I just need to actually write it. Thank you so much for reading. Oh! And comment with the pairings you would like to see in this book besides the man Akakuro one! One last thing, do you guys want smut or no? I've never written it before but I can try. Let me know your thoughts.


	6. Only Good Guys Like Basketball

Three resounding knocks echoed through the room. The redhead responded with a terse ‘come in’. The door opened and closed, but neither party spoke. Without looking up from the map that dominated his focus, Akashi addressed the intruder.

“Shintarou, I don’t believe we had any business to attend to and sensing no urgency in your actions tells me nothing requires my immediate attention. What is it that you felt necessary for us to discuss?” Finally lifting his eyes to the man before him, a ferocious look in his heterochromatic eyes.

Midorima visibly shivered at the glare, quickly averting his eyes in an attempt to decrease the immense tension that his captain directed his way. He cleared his throat, pulling himself together and reminding himself of his intentions.

“I wish to discuss the merman.” Midorima boldly stated.

“Hm,” Akashi hummed, “What about him? His health should be fine.”

“This isn’t in regard to any health matters. May I speak freely, one friend to another?”

“You may.”

“I’m worried that you are becoming too absorbed in the merman.”

This caught the redhead’s interest. It wasn’t often that his childhood friend spoke frankly about his emotions. In fact, Midorima typically did everything he could to hide his emotions. Not that he was successful. Akashi knew the greenhead was easier to read than Kise most times.

“What exactly have I done to warrant your concern exactly?” Akashi narrowed his cat-like eyes.

Midorima swallowed harshly before saying, “Nothing,” Akashi began to speak but Midorima cut him off.

“It’s just, your eyes, you look at him with interest.”

“Interrupt me again and lose your tongue Shintarou,” the intensity in the room increasing.

“You need not worry about something as trivial as this. Any interest I have in him doesn’t extend beyond the curiosity one might demonstrate while observing a cat playing with a toy.” Akashi dismissively said.

“Yes, and those cats are treasured by their owners”.

“What exactly are you implying Shintarou? State it clearly.” The redhead knowingly requested.

“I just want you to be careful with your interactions with that merman. That thing serves a purpose at the end of the day and if you grow attached to it you may find it too difficult to carry through with our true mission in obtaining

“I just want you to be careful with your interactions with that merman. That thing serves a purpose at the end of the day and you need to be prepared to do whatever it takes for h-”

Akashi slammed his fists onto the desk in front of him, abruptly cutting off Midorima. Gritting his teeth, Akashi calmly but with extreme ferocity spoke.

“You don’t think I know that.”

Silence once again resounded throughout the room.

“Leave me. I have no time for your baseless concerns.” Akashi said with finality.

Midorima bowed before making his way to the exit. Akashi sat back in his leather desk chair, running his fingers through his hair, trying to calm himself. Absolute rage pounded through his veins.

 _How dare he question MY resolve,_ Akashi thought. Yet, he couldn’t help his eyes from wandering onto the only portrait on his desk. His hand absentmindedly raised to the pendant on his neck, fidgeting with the ring that hung there.

* * *

 

The next morning when Kuroko made his way onto the deck he wasn’t greeted with crystal clear open waters on either side, but the port of a busy city. Kise was the first to spot him on deck and quickly ran over to the boy, giving him a bone-crushing hug. Kuroko wasn’t expecting it and had no time to dodge the cuddle attack.

“KUROKOCCHI!” Kise shouted out, while rubbing his check against the smaller merman’s.

“Ki-Kise-kun, Ca-can’t br-ea-the.” Kuroko gasped out.

“OI KISE, YOUR CHOKING THE POOR THING” Aomine’s deep voice rang through the air as he walked up and swatted at the blonde’s head.

“Ah, Gomen gomen!” Kise released his hold.

Aomine began scolding Kise about the work the two were assigned for the day. The two men had to go and retrieve the supplies, while Midorima and Murasakibara remained to guard the ship. As the two discussed their visit to the port town, Kuroko’s ears perked up. He had never been to any other town besides his small old village and the city he was kept trapped in, although he never really got to see much of it. When he heard the two pirates talking about all things they had to do their, many of which were unfamiliar to Kuroko, he couldn’t help but be interested.

“A-ano, Kise-kun? Aomine-san?” Kuroko called quietly.

Even though the men were talking rather loudly, they still heard and turned towards Kuroko.

“C-could I go with you?” Kuroko looked up at the two, his ocean-blue eyes glistening with anticipation.

Both Kise and Aomine were taken back by the excitement that shown in his eyes at the prospect of being able to experience something that was common to them. Aomine was the first to speak up.

“Have you never been to a town before? It’s really nothing special. We’ll just be running to the market and back, if anything it’s just a pain in the neck.” He said while, scratching the back of his head.

“What’s a market?” Kuroko inquired, his head tilting slightly to the right as he said it. His eyes blinking innocently.

Kise got a nosebleed because of how cute Kuroko looked, rushing up to squeeze the life out of him once again. Even Aomine raised his hand to cover up the blush blooming across his face.

“AW, Kurokocchi of course you can come! Right Aominecchi!!”

“HUH? What bullshit are you saying Kise? Of course not! Akashi would never allow it. Besides even if he did, one look at that white hair and we’d have the whole place chasing after us. Plus, this island is still under royal jurisdiction and I’d say news has spread about a stolen merman. The last thing we need is the royal guard on our tails, especially when we’re finally so close to-,” before Aomine could finish a door behind the three slammed open and out came the fearsome captain. His head down, hair covering any emotions on his face, but just the aura radiating off him was enough to send the blonde and midnight blue haired men shaking in their boots. This allowed Kuroko to squirm out of Kise’s hold as he remained relatively unaffected.

“A-Ak-Akashi.” Aomine stuttered out.

However, the redhead simply looked up, a wicked look in his eyes and a grin forming on his lips.

“Daiki, Ryouta, feel free to take Tetsuya with you, but keep a good eye on him. Can’t have a prize like him running off on us,” he said with a wink Kuroko’s way. This caused Kuroko to huff with the slightest pout.

 _Cute…_ Akashi thought as he continued on his way, going up the steps to where the wheel of the ship was. Before he fully made it up the steps, he turned back towards the three.

“Oh, Daiki. You’ll be running 50 laps around the city later and the next time I hear you talking about **that** , you’ll be running double it and cleaning the entire ship top to bottom till it sparkles.”

With that, Akashi left the three. Aomine upset and frustrated to the point Kuroko could envision steam coming out of his ears. Kise giggling and babbling about the numerous things they had to take Kuroko to see. Kuroko practically jumping up and down with happiness at finally being able to experience something new.

* * *

 

The three walked through the streets of the market place, Kuroko stopping at almost every window and vendor to stare in awe at their wares. They had managed to find a hat to hide Kuroko’s white locks and tucked all his hair into it. Anyone looking at the boy would think he was just a regular person as long as that hat remained on his head.

The busy port town was crawling with guards everywhere and there were a couple wanted posters with the pirate’s faces on them. Midorima had warned them to be extra cautious as he had seen a boat from the royal navy fleet in port. They even overheard one cat-faced soldier and his silent partner asking around about a merman with Kuroko’s description. This made the three especially careful, keeping their heads down as guards passed by.

Overall though, it was a wonderful day. The sun was peeking out through large fluffy clouds, but it wasn’t too hot. They had spent most of the morning undisturbed, going to the stores they needed to and gathering the supplies the ship needed. Luckily, most of the shopping was being delivered directly to the ship, so they didn’t have anything weighing them down. Aomine was even kind enough to let the other two waste a little time looking through other stores as well. He couldn’t help it once he’d seen how happy Kuroko was practically running through the streets with the interest of a child, thinking to himself _that thing may be just a means to an end, but that look of joy is hard to ignore._

Kuroko was having the time of his life. There were many people walking around shopping or sitting on the patios of restaurants in the lively town. The buildings were all painted extremely vibrant colors. He had never seen anything like it. Kise had shown him many new things, like a wonderful circular silver contraption. It had gears within it and little hands that circled around what Kise had called the face. Kise told him it was called a “pocket watch” and that it kept time. Kuroko couldn’t believe that such a small gadget was capable of such a thing.

The merman had taken special interest in a little bookshop. He hadn’t intended to drag the two pirates into it, but before he knew it Kise had already pulled him in. Kuroko had always seen the Lord reading from these clusters of bound pages, but he never knew what was contained within them. Kuroko knew how to read, but it had been so long since he’d learned he wasn’t sure if he still could. Yet when he picked up the first book that called out to him, he instantly found himself lost in the pages. The book was bought for him buy his new friend before he could protest.

The group was just exiting the last store they needed to visit, a produce stall, when a group of five girls spotted Kise. Some lowered their tops, while others fixed their hair. They all approached the blonde, surrounding and separating him from the other two. Kuroko grew worried, while Aomine had a bored look in his eye as if he had seen this a thousand times before.

“Hey cutie, care to spend some time with us?” A particularly busty woman asked as she latched on to Kise’s left arm. Another snagged his right arm, while the others fell into line with them. They began to drag a distraught Kise away, towards a café across the street.

“Kurokocchi! Save me!” Kise shouted, freeing his right arm and reaching towards his companions.

“Aomine-san, perhaps we should save him.” Kuroko spoke towards the tanned male.

“Just leave him, this happens to that idiot in every town we go to. Despite the look on his face, he likes the attention. He’ll meet up with us later.” Aomine nonchalantly responded.

Aomine started walking away down the street away from the market square, Kuroko quietly following the man.

The two walked for a couple minutes, dodging another two soldiers, one with glasses and the other one taller with a goofy look on his face. They had made their way out of the busy area, into a more peaceful residential area. There were some kids playing around with a ball a few meters away from a nice field of grass. Aomine found a large tree and brought himself to lie on the ground underneath it, hands behind his head like a pillow. Getting the idea, Kuroko sat with his back leaning against the trunk and pulled his new book out.

A few moments passed before something rolled up and bumped into Kuroko’s leg, disturbing him from his reading. The blue-eyed merman looked up and saw a round leather thing in front of him. Picking it up, he noticed one of the children running up to him. He stared at the kid and then back at the other children then coming back to stare at the ball in his hands.

“Excuse me sir!” The kid shouted out. “I’m sorry for troubling you, but could we have our ball back please.”

Kuroko quickly took note of the item’s name, his interest in it growing.

“Um, this…ball, what is it for?” Kuroko asked the child.

“You’ve never played with a ball before?” The kid questioned back.

Before Kuroko could speak up again, the child rushed forward pulling on Kuroko’s hand and saying, “C’mon, I’ll show you. You can play with us.”

Kuroko looked back at Aomine, who was still resting, thinking it should be fine for a little while and sneaking off with the kid. Little did he know, Aomine had heard everything with a little smile growing on his face.

The children showed Kuroko how to play with the ball. That it bounced up and down on the harsh dirt ground and the goal of shooting it through the wooden hoop they had hung on the back of a building. Kuroko had immediately taken interest in the game and found himself falling in love with it. He lost all sense of time as he played alongside the children, even if he wasn’t very good. Next thing he knew, the sun had begun setting and the children were being called back to their homes for dinner. The kids left the ball with Kuroko as a thank you for playing with them.

Aomine approached Kuroko as he tried to shoot the ball through the hoop, missing entirely. Kuroko retrieved the ball and lined himself up for another shot, but Aomine called out to him before he could shoot.

“What are you doing?”

“Aomine-san, have you seen this thing before?” Kuroko held the ball out between them. “Those children earlier showed me this wonderful game. I think they called it ‘ball-basket’, it’s so much fun! You need to try it!” Kuroko eagerly rambled.

Aomine couldn’t stop himself from laughing, throwing his head back and clutching his stomach. Once his laughter died down, he faced the merman in front of him and said, “It’s basket-ball.”

“Huh?”

“The game, it’s called basketball and yes, I’ve played it before.”

Aomine took the ball out of Kuroko’s small hands and easily shot it into the hoop from where he stood. Kuroko watched in admiration as the ball easily sailed through with a whoosh.

“Aomine-san, that’s amazing! Will you show me how to do that? Let’s play basketball together!” Kuroko stared at the pirate in front of him with a longing in his crystal blue eyes.

Aomine was take aback by the smaller boy in front of him. He hadn’t seen someone look at him with eyes like that since…

A wide smile spread across Aomine’s face.

 **_He_ ** _may be a merman, but only good guys like basketball._

“Sure Tetsu, let’s play together!” Aomine held his hand out in a fist towards the merman. Kuroko confused at the action, simply flashed a dazzling smile up at the pirate, happy to finally be acknowledged by the man.

However, the two didn’t even get a chance to dribble the ball. A loud voice cut through the warm atmosphere surrounding the two.

“OI! Ahomine, is that you?”

The two friends turned their heads towards the owner of the roaring sound. A tall redhead stood before them, dressed in a royal navy uniform, rifle pointed at the two.

“Shit, Tetsu get ready to run when I say so.” Aomine whispered to the shorter.

“Don’t even think about it!” the redhead shouted out again, slowly approaching the two.

“Move an inch and I fire and we both know I rarely miss.” The redhead seemingly directed towards the tanned male.

From this Kuroko gathered the two must know each other.

_How does a pirate get to know a soldier personally enough to call him by name?_

While Kuroko pondered this, Aomine was busy trying to think of ways out of this. Yes, he knew the soldier personally, but he wasn’t ready to get into anything with him here and now. He had Kuroko to worry about. He needed to get Kuroko back to the ship without injury and right now he feared the repercussions of failing to do so a lot more than the soldier before him

Feet away from Aomine and Kuroko now, the man spoke again.

“What? Did going rogue make you forget your childhood friend? I don’t get any greetings?” The redhead sneered.

“Kagami,” the pirate addressed the soldier, “put the rifle down before you hurt yourself. The only one who can beat me is me.”

“I don’t think I will until you put these handcuffs on.” Kagami pulled out a set of cuffs and threw them at Aomine.

Aomine noticed that Kagami hadn’t glanced at Kuroko at all, but he didn’t know that the redhead couldn’t see the merman. Oblivious to Aomine, Kuroko was decreasing his presence to evade the soldier.

“Why would I do that, Bakagami? You won’t shoot me. Even if you could get your hands on me, the bounty on my head is too large to kill me on sight. Your superior would never let you.”

“True, but I can shoot without killing.” Kagami responded as he moved his rifle towards Aomine’s left leg.

Before he could shoot, Aomine jumped to the side, somersaulting on the ground. Kagami pulled out his sword, but he felt a fist connecting with his cheek before he could do anything. Kagami stumbled backwards as another of Aomine’s fists was thrown his way. However, he grabbed the fist in mid-air and pulled Aomine forward, sword at the ready. Aomine evaded the sword, grabbing Kagami and twisting his arm.

Kuroko just watched as the two skillfully fought with each other. He wanted to help Aomine but felt that he would only get in the way. The two were so caught up in confrontation they hadn’t realized that they were approaching the shoreline.

Meanwhile, more soldiers had approached the three. Kagami’s allies no doubt. Kuroko saw the bespectacled soldier from earlier begin to raise up the rifle in the combatant’s direction. The man seemed to have Aomine in his sights. Adrenaline pumped through Kuroko’s veins as the shot rang through the air. However, the shot didn’t connect with Aomine’s flesh.

The tanned pirate and the redheaded soldier stopped fighting to look towards the source of the noise. Aomine saw a hat on the ground, a hole blown through it, then Kuroko standing, arms stretched out on either side of him, in a protective stance, ivory hair on display for everyone to see.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kagami's fighting Aomine AND they already know each other? Plus, Kuroko's in trouble! Will he be able to escape? Also, Akashi's acting highly suspicious. Any guesses about what's going on with him?
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I'm sorry it took so long. I always feel like I have to apologize for that. Anyways, feel free to comment about what you're liking so far or maybe disliking. I'm kinda worried that this isn't turning out to be enjoyable to read. I have two exams next week that might delay the next chapter, but I have started writing it so it should be out within the next two weeks. 
> 
> Next time: Kuroko and Aomine face off against Seirin! Maybe a backstory or two as well! See you then!


	7. Placating A Giant

Everything was still for a beat. All the soldiers astonished at the boy’s appearance in front of them.

 _White hair…_ They simultaneously thought as they realized what stood before them.

 _Where did he come from?_ Kagami thought. Kagami noticed Aomine’s focus on the boy and took advantage, grabbing him and pressing his sword against the back of the pirate’s abdomen.

“Move and I run you through.” He spoke into his ear. “You will come with us. Not just for the bounty, I need answers. You can’t just stab your best friend in the back without consequence.”

Aomine stood still as he felt Kagami’s hot breath tickle his ear, trying to suppress the heat that fought to flush his cheeks. Kuroko turned to see Aomine being apprehended and he quickly rushed towards the two, worried for his friend’s safety.

“Apprehend the mermaid!” The spectacled soldier said.

The soldiers quickly chased after him, wondering if he was the mermaid they were searching for.

“Tetsu run away! Leave me! You need to get back to the others or you’ll be taken back.”

Kagami felt a twinge of anger and some other unknown emotion run through him. Meanwhile, Aomine’s words shook Kuroko to his core.

_Taken back…_

Today had been so much fun. Sure, he was still the captive of pirates, but at least he wasn’t locked into a room all day. He was able to see and do new things. He even had a book to his name now. He didn’t know if he could handle going back. Being shut up in that room, treated as a rich man’s plaything. Fear shot through him, but he didn’t stop running. He had just made friends with Aomine and he wasn’t going to lose him now. He would do whatever he could.

Half-way there and Kuroko was quickly formulating a plan in his head. He had to somehow free Aomine and fight off his captor, all the while dodging the additional soldiers that all seemed to be after him now. He began feeling desperate as he racked his brain trying to think of something, anything that could get them out of this, but the situation felt impossible. Kuroko could feel the panic settling in as he began to hyperventilate.  Then suddenly, a voice yelled out.

“KUROKOCCHI!”

The merman froze mid-sprint to turn towards the voice. He spotted not only the blonde, but also the purple and red-haired pirates alongside him, swords drawn to keep the soldiers at bay.

“Focus on Daiki. Two minutes. Leave the rest to us.” Akashi shouted at the boy.

Kuroko felt something he had never felt before. He felt safe. Even though his friend’s life was still being threatened and he was still unsure of the pirate’s intentions. He had never had anyone to rely on before so to see the pirates guarding his back, even if just for the moment, it warmed his heart.

Turning back towards Aomine, all he could hear behind him was the sound of swords clashing. The gears in Kuroko’s head still turning. As he neared the two, he overheard a little of their conversation or more like their fight.

“WHY?” The redheaded soldier shouted at Aomine, who still had a sword to his back. “Why did you defect? I thought we were friends.”

“Friends huh?” Aomine turned to face Kagami. “What gave you that impression?” Aomine said, his aura darkening as he gazed right into Kagami’s eyes.

Kagami couldn’t help but chuckle sadly to himself.

“I guess I was the only who thought so then. Friends should know everything about each other, yet I had no clue that you’d sided with that **murderer** and become a traitor until I saw you standing next to him as the ship he stole sailed out of the harbor!”

Kuroko didn’t miss the hurt that shone in Aomine’s eyes as Kagami raged on. He finally stepped forward to interrupt the soldier just as an idea came to mind. He finally knew how to save his friend.

“Ano… Soldier-san?” Kuroko said as he tapped him on the soldier.

Kagami jolted in surprise. _Where did he come from? I didn’t sense him at all._

“Soldier-san, I am aware that Aomine-san has a bounty on his head, and I’d like to pay it.” Kuroko calmly stated.

“Pay it? With what money?” Kagami scoffed. Aomine’s bounty was quite high.

_There’s no way this kid has that much money on him._

Kuroko stepped towards the soldier, putting him on edge. He was ready for any trick the boy had up his sleeve, but he wasn’t prepared for what happened next. Kuroko crouched down by the edge of the water, that Kagami just realized was there, and dipped his right arm in. When he pulled his slim, pale arm out of the sea, specks of blue and silver shined in the sunset. Kagami’s eyes widened and he couldn’t help but focus on the boy’s arm. The way it glistened made it look like diamonds were embedded in the boy’s skin. He’d never seen or heard of anything like it before.

Kuroko lifted his left hand towards one of the sparkles, grabbing on and pulling with all his might. Kagami grew confused as to what the boy was trying to accomplish, but his thoughts were blown away when a heart wrenching scream escaped the boy. Kuroko then reached his hand out towards the soldier.

Aomine couldn’t believe what his new friend had just done. Kuroko had pulled off one of his scales and offered it to Kagami.

Dumbfounded, Kagami stretched his free hand out to the boys shaking hand. The scale was placed in Kagami’s hand, looking just as beautiful as it did before. Kagami stared at it for awhile before raising his eyes to meet Kuroko’s in confusion.

“A scale from a merman. I’ve heard its worth an awful lot. It should be more than enough to cover Aomine-san’s bounty.” Kuroko said as he used his hand to cover his now bleeding arm.

Kagami was shocked. _Merman? He just said ‘merman’ didn’t he?_

While Kagami was occupied with his thoughts, Kuroko turned his focus to his friend. His eyes shifted from Aomine, to the ocean, and then back. Thankful when a look of understanding crossed Aomine’s face. With lightening speed, Aomine stepped back and bolted towards the water, diving in. Kuroko turned towards the water, “Sorry Soldier-san, but I can’t go back,” Kuroko whispered under his breath as he also dove head first into the water, just as his two minutes were up.

Kagami didn’t even have time to acknowledge the two because just as the dove into the water, a series of smoke bombs began going off around him. The last thing he saw was a flash of sky blue and a tail slapping into the water in the horizon.

* * *

A long string of coughs with an additional curse or two slipping between could be heard on the deck of a docked ship. Two figures were laying on the deck. One seemed to be coughing up a lung as he tried to clear the water from his airways, while the other simply laid on his back, his chest heaving as he caught his breath.

“Damn Tetsu, you couldn’t have swum any slower.” Aomine gasped out after a particularly nasty cough.

“Gomen Aomine-san, that was my first-time swimming. I didn’t know how to control the speed properly.”

“Drop the honorifics.” Aomine said as he settled onto his back next to the bluenette.

“Eh?”

“You just saved me Tetsu. You don’t have to be so formal with me.”

“Then… Aomine-kun.” Aomine couldn’t help but laugh at that.

The two just laid there in a pleasant silence while they caught their breaths. After a long while, Aomine turned to look at Kuroko. He sucked in a harsh breath, his adam’s apple bombing up and down, as he took in the stunning sight. Kuroko lay there, eyes closed so that his blue eyelashes touched his flushed cheeks. He had a full head of shimmering azure hair that seemed to get more vibrant each time Aomine saw it. At some point in their high-speed escape, Kuroko’s shirt had fallen off so now his milky white chest was on full display. Beads of seawater twinkled alongside the countless multicolored scales that littered the slim merman’s torso. Aomine’s eyes widened as it finally hit him. Kuroko’s tail in all its glory glowed a brilliant hue of cerulean and striking silver just like his other scales but more pronounced. Aomine thought Kuroko was alluring before but right now he looked elegant, exquisite, ethereal. Aomine didn’t realize he was blushing at the sight.

Kuroko hadn’t noticed Aomine staring. All Kuroko could process was the utter bliss he felt. Finally! His tail finally got to taste the sea it had been craving for so long. It had been unlike anything he’d every experienced, although he hadn’t experienced much. The water flowing through his teal locks, while his tail flipped to the beat of his own drum. When he hit the water, it felt like returning home. Already, He was anticipating his next swim. He craved it. His entire body was buzzing as he basked in the afterglow. However, one thought did seem to ruin the blueheads good mood.

_He was right. I barely lasted that short journey back to the ship._

Kuroko couldn’t fathom how Akashi could have known his stamina was so low, but it bothered him to no end that the entitled captain had been right. Kuroko started to feel his tail tingling, a sign that his tail was changing back to legs and feet.

“Aomine-kun,” Kuroko turned to his tanned friend only to catch him staring, while Aomine quickly averted his eyes.

“Aomine-kun?”

“I WASN’T LOOKING! I SWEAR!” Aomine shouted in his defense.

Kuroko just let out a breathy giggle, which sounded like ringing bells to Aomine.

“Aomine-kun, would you mind getting me a pair of pants?”

“Eh?” Aomine looked back to the blue-eyed boy, only to see white hair and pale, bare legs.

Kuroko tried to cover himself as much as he could, his cheeks turning redder than a tomato.

“Right! Um, One second.” Aomine got up, quickly running down the steps to the cabin area and returning with a pair of his own pants and a shirt.

Aomine covered his eyes with his hand and held the clothes out to the merman. He heard the rustling of clothes and then silence.

“You can open your eyes Aomine-kun.” Kuroko said.

Aomine’s eyes fluttered open and settled on his friend, only to sputter and slam his hand over his eyes again.

“Tetsu, what are you wearing?”

“The clothes you gave me.” Kuroko deadpanned.

“I gave you pants with that shirt…What happened to them?”

“The clothes were too big. The pants kept slipping off, so I figured since the shirt is long enough I’d just keep them off.”

Aomine uncovered his eyes again. Kuroko stood there in Aomine’s white shirt that looked more like a dress on Kuroko. The shirt being a little see through thanks to Kuroko’s damp chest, so Aomine caught a glimpse of his little pink buds. Kuroko looked up innocently at Aomine bringing his hands, which were covered in the long sleeves of the shirt, up to cover his mouth.

_Cu…Cute…_

“Is something wrong Aomine-kun?” Kuroko asked.

Aomine sputtered, trying to find an answer. Luckily, the sounds of chatter and footsteps caught the merman’s attention.

“Looks like the other’s are back.” Kuroko said as he passed Aomine and walked to the entrance of the ship.

“KUROKOCCHI! KAWAII!” Kise ran towards Kuroko, one hand pinching his nose as it dripped blood.

“OI KISE! Don’t touch him!” Aomine rushed to intercept the blonde.

Murasakibara and Midorima also boarded the ship, Akashi following closely behind them. All three took in the sight of the merman.

 _Angel…_ two of them thought.

 _Cotton candy…_ a certain purple haired giant thought.

Regaining his composure, Akashi turned to Aomine.

“Daiki, I’d like to talk to you. Privately.” He said sinisterly.

“Y-yes Akashi.” Aomine gulped.

“As for you,” Akashi turned to Kuroko, “I bought you clothes today. You’ll find them in your room. Change. Now.”

Kuroko just tilted his head inquisitively as he tried to place the emotion in Akashi’s eyes.

“Does what I’m wearing bother you Akashi-san?” Kuroko leaned towards the red head.

Midorima who was now standing behind the merman saw the shirt he was wearing lift, revealing more of the merman’s upper thigh. His glasses cracked, which Murasakibara caught.

“Ah, Mido-chin. Your glasses…”

“Sh-Shut up!” Midorima said as he turned and headed towards the cabins under the deck. Murasakibara followed him to begin dinner as his stomach grumbled.

Akashi could stare at the boy no longer, making his way to his own quarters with a disgruntled Aomine following him. _You win this round Tetsuya._

Meanwhile, Kise was lying in a puddle of his own blood, passed out.

* * *

Later, after Kuroko had changed into more “appropriate” clothing as deemed by Akashi, the petite merman was wandering around the ship. They had hastily departed from the port they were docked at and were well on their way to their destination by now. Kise had told Kuroko the journey would take them at least another two to three days. Now Kuroko walked around aimlessly trying to find something to keep himself busy.

Everyone was busy doing various things: Akashi had cooped himself up in the captain’s quarters, Midorima was in the infirmary sorting through the supplies he had just received, Murasakibara was in the kitchen preparing dinner for everyone, Aomine was cleaning the entire deck as a punishment for almost getting himself and Kuroko caught as well as endangering the rest of the crew, and Kise was punished alongside him for continuing to make fun of Aomine as he dealt with his punishment even after Akashi had commanded him to stop. They both had also been forced to run countless laps around the deck.

Kuroko wasn't entirely sure what had happened when the two went into Akashi's office, but the looks on their faces as they left told him he never wanted to find out. Suffice it to say, Kuroko’s impression of Akashi changed from stern, smug leader to stern, smug, and sadistic leader.

Kuroko found himself stepping into the kitchen. He had yet to interact with the purple haired giant furiously working there but figured he should at least thank him for helping him when he had passed out back at the lord’s mansion. Plus, Kuroko was curious as to what the pirate was making that smelt so divine. As he stood in the doorway watching the giant gracefully move around to attend to various dishes, he couldn’t help but close his eyes and simply take in the scent that was driving him crazy.

“Are~ Merman did you need something?” Murasakibara asked.

Kuroko’s eyes fluttered open again, reminding himself of his purpose in being there.

“Murasakibara-san, I just wanted to say thank you for carrying me to your ship while I was unconscious. You could have left me there, but you didn’t so thank you.” Kuroko stated, bowing at the end.

Murasakibara simply hummed as he took a spoon to the stew brewing on the stove and tasted it. Kuroko stood straight again, fidgeting around as he tried to get a better view of the marvels the kitchen seemed to hold. Murasakibara stared at him, an amused look in his violet eyes.

“Was there something else Merman?”

“U-Um…I was wondering what you were making? It smells so good!”

Murasakibara swiped another spoon from one of the drawers, dipping it into the stew and beckoning Kuroko over. Kuroko walked towards the pirate’s outstretched hand that held the spoon. However, the white-haired boy’s next actions stunned Murasakibara. Instead of taking the spoon into his own hand, Kuroko had pulled Murasakibara’s hand with the spoon to his mouth, trying the offered food. Murasakibara couldn’t help but notice the difference in size between their two hands.

_This merman…Isn’t it scared of me? I tower over this creature and yet it approached me without hesitation and even thanked me._

“Mmm… Murasakibara-san that tastes amazing! What is it?” Kuroko smiled up at the lilac-head.

“Cr-cream of potato soup…” Murasakibara managed to respond despite still being shocked at the merman’s behavior towards him.

“Oh!” Kuroko exclaimed before running out of the kitchen. Murasakibara was left hearing the receding pitter patter of Kuroko’s feet across the wooden floor. He sighed to himself.

_That’s more like it. That’s how people normally react. That’s how they should react towards me._

Suddenly, he heard the familiar sound of Kuroko’s footsteps getting louder as the merman reappeared at the doorway, hands behind his back to hide something. Kuroko stepped into the kitchen once again, heading straight for the larger man.

“While I was in the port town, Kise allowed me to get some little snacks and candies. He said I absolutely had to try them. Would you like to have a few with me?” Kuroko looked at Murasakibara expectantly.

Murasakibara couldn’t understand this behavior. People typically stayed as far away from him, yet this small creature not only showed no fear interacting with him, but even wanted to share his belongings with him like a delicate butterfly placating a giant

Murasakibara’s plum eyes softened from their widened shock as his lips tugged upwards into a smile. He lifted his large hand towards Kuroko, who stood there with no reservations, and placed it on the boy’s head in an affectionate pat.

 _Soft…_ Murasakibara thought.

“I would love to have some, **Kuro-chin**.” Murasakibara said, drooling at the thought of the tasty candies.

Kuroko gave Murasakibara a blinding smile, that had the food obsessed giant blushing, as the two got busy discussing the sweets in their possession as well as sweets Kuroko still needed to try. All the while, Murasakibara cooked and even showed Kuroko a thing or two about cooking. Neither male noticing the green-headed figure that paused in the doorway to listen in before making his way to the deck.

* * *

Kuroko and Aomine were relaxing on a couch in the lounge area after dinner. Akashi and Midorima had disappeared to have a private conversation, while Murasakibara was cleaning up from dinner and Kise, despite whining about spending time with his ‘kawaii cinnamon roll Kurokocchi’, was steering the ship. The four were sitting in a pleasant silence sipping on some tea until Kuroko’s curiosity got the better of him.

“Aomine-kun, do you mind if I ask you a question?”

“What do you want to know Tetsu?”

_Well, I want to know a lot of things but I doubt you’d answer all of them._

“The soldier from before, the red haired one, he seemed to know you personally and called you a traitor. Why?” Kuroko asked, sticking to a question he thought Aomine would actually entertain.

Aomine sighed, trying to think of the best way to answer Kuroko’s question. He wasn’t ready to fully open to his new friend, but at the same time felt he owed Kuroko some explanation. Not to mention, he didn’t think he could talk about his past without permission as it wasn’t only his story to share.

“The soldier, his name is Kagami Taiga. He was my childhood friend. We always dreamed of becoming soldiers in the royal army and when we grew up that’s just what we did. Shit went down and I ended up defecting. I guess he saw it as a betrayal but…” Aomine paused, unsure of how to continue.

“I understand.” Kuroko said. He didn’t want to press his friend too far when he clearly wasn’t ready.

There was a moment of silence between the two.

“Listen, I know a lot of the guys here have been pretty cold towards you initially and the fact that we are pirates probably doesn’t improve your opinion of us. Just know that all the guys here, they’re good guys. They have their own stories and reasons for being on this ship.” Aomine told Kuroko.

Kuroko nodded in understanding.

“What about you Tetsu? How did you end up trapped in that dumb lord’s castle?”

Kuroko’s normally expressionless face grew somber. Aomine scolded himself for bringing it up and troubling the boy.

“I used to live in a small village inland of the island. I was abandoned as a baby and the villagers were kind enough to take me in and keep me safe. They knew what I was but still they never tried to sell me like so many of my kind have been. I lived there for about eight years with the village elder.” Kuroko’s smiled a little thinking about the kind grandma that had taken care of him.

“Somehow, the lord heard of a white-haired child living in one of his villages and came searching for me. When he arrived at my village, the villagers hid me from him believing he would move on once he didn’t see me there. However, Lord Matsuoka returned and tormented the villagers. He burned their fields and taxed them heavily until one by one they turned against me. Still, grandma refused to give me up. Yet, the villagers went behind her back and made a deal with Lord Matsuoka.” Kuroko took a deep breath, his eyes stinging with tears.

“They came in the middle of the night and dragged me from her home. She did everything in her power to protest them, but in their greed fueled frenzy, they…they hit her.” Kuroko felt the tears begin to roll down the side of his cheek.

“They punched and kicked her, beating her to death for allowing the village to fall into such despair. They set fire to our home before dragging me to a caged cart used for prisoners. That’s when I was introduced to Lord Matsuoka.” Kuroko finished, silent sobs racking his tiny body as he felt like he was taken back to that night just by speaking about it.

Aomine reached over to Kuroko, pulling the smaller boy onto his lap into a warm hug. Blazing ruby and amber eyes gazed at them, furious and a little jealous, having heard everything. Aomine pulled away to look at Kuroko, two different shades of blue meeting.

“I promise to never betray you like those villagers did. I promise to always stand by you and support you no matter what.” Aomine said with a firm look in his eyes.

Sniffling a little, Kuroko promised the same, then leaned towards Aomine, resting his head on the tanned pirate’s chest.

Eventually, Kuroko’s sobs died down and deep even breaths took their place. When Aomine looked back down at the him, he had fallen asleep. Aomine carried Kuroko to his room, tucking the latter into his bed and unconsciously pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead before making his way out, shutting the door behind him.

From the shadows, emerged a person that approached the resting merman. Stepping out into the light, the redhead stood before Kuroko’s sleeping figure, reaching a hand out to move a strand of milky white hair out of his face. An adoring look unconsciously crossed the otherwise stern captain’s face as he watched the seemingly fragile boy’s face scrunch up as he tossed and turned. Akashi placed a hand on Kuroko’s pale cheek, caressing his face, which soothed the nightmare tormenting him. Only when Kuroko fell into a peaceful slumber did the heterochromatic captain retire for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Of course Kagami would be the last to realize Kuroko was a merman. Aomine's a traitor and he sided with a murderer? Any guesses, what happened to him in the past? Meanwhile, Kuroko gains another friend! 
> 
> I hope everyone's understanding whats happening with each member of the GOM and Kuroko. Let me know if you are! Also, has anyone figured out where the chapter titles are coming from? 
> 
> Lastly, thank you guys so much for over 1000 hits on this story! That's insane to me. I honestly didn't think I would get so many people reading my story, but I'm thrilled you guys are reading it. Thanks again and see you next time!


	8. His Lucky Item

_Soft. It was so soft. That skin, free from imperfections, seemed so fragile. No frown should ever grace such an angelic face._

“-shi.-ashi! Akashi!” Midorima shouted, pulling Akashi out of his daydream.

“Shintarou, I would appreciate it if you would employ the practice of personal space.” Akashi stated as he pushed Midorima’s face away from his.

“I apologize. It appeared as if your mind was elsewhere and I merely wanted to grasp your attention.”

“I heard every word. We will arrive home within a weeks’ time, supplies are holding steady, and the wind blows in our favor, naturally.” Akashi listed the updates Midorima had been giving him.

Midorima gave him a patronizingly raised eyebrow.

“You heard not a word I said on the matter of the merman.”

“What of Tetsuya?”

“That creature is getting to close to the crew.”

“That is fine. Better to have a cordial atmosphere than a tense one. In the end, what needs to be done will be.”

“Akashi, we have far surpassed cordial and jumped head-first into infatuation. On my way to your quarters, I passed by the kitchens and witnessed the merman on Murasakibara’s lap, while the rest were all engaged in their form of conversation. That merman needs to be in the holding cell, chained down with a gag in its mouth!”

Hands slammed down on the desk as Akashi rose from his chair.

“Shintarou, are you making demands? Of me?” Akashi almost growled out calmly.

Heterochromatic eyes bore into emerald ones as the taller of the two’s legs began shaking only to give out from underneath him.

“Remember your place. I said all is well and so it is. End of story. Now leave my sight!”

Midorima scrambled to his feet and exited the room in the room as fast as humanely possible. Meanwhile, Akashi resumed sitting at his desk, taking a deep breath to calm himself. His multicolored eyes wandered to the portrait once more.

“Too close, huh?”

* * *

 

The night sky stretched before Kuroko as he was, once again, sat at the edge of the bow of the ship. He enjoyed listening to the waves slapping the side of the vessel, while smelling the fresh and salty sea air. Taking in all his senses like this, he felt at home for once in his life. Never having been near enough to the ocean before, something always felt as if it were missing. It wasn’t something Kuroko would have been able to place either, until now. Eyes closed and wind in his face, everything was nearly perfect.

Kuroko was so focused on admiring the nature around him he didn’t hear the boots on the deck as they approached him. Only the rustling of clothes and creak of the wood as someone sat beside him alerted him to the presence of another.

“It is a beautiful night, is it not?” The redheaded captain said.

“Indeed, I’ve rarely been able to admire the night sky like this.”

The two were quiet for a moment, simply enjoying the comfortable silence. Eventually, Kuroko’s eyes wandered to Akashi. His eyes traveled from the fiery head of silky hair to his attractively sculpted face.

“You appear to be troubled by something Akashi-san.”

A smirk swept across Akashi’s features.

“You are very perceptive Tetsuya.”

“Akashi-san, you don’t seem like you are meant to be a pirate.”

“Oh? And what is a pirate supposed to seem like?”

“Well, I suppose I wouldn’t know. I’ve never meant any pirates. I just always imagined them to be rougher and unlawful. Meanwhile, your crew as well as you appear more refined. You live by a code. Aomine-kun told me so.”

“It is only natural Tetsuya. Even amongst friends, there are unspoken rules to follow.”

Kuroko pondered this for a moment, before agreeing and returning to admire the ocean. He could sit there all day and bask in its glory after so many years of it being withheld from him.

“You are more dazzling on the ocean, then anywhere else.” Akashi broke the silence once again.

Kuroko couldn’t help the heat that flushed to his cheeks at that comment.

“A-A-A-Ak-Akashi-san?” Stuttered out, flustered at the unexpected compliment.

“Pfftt! Hahaha!” Akashi couldn’t restrain the laughter that explode from his chest.

“Haha! Your face…I didn’t think you could be so expressive Tetsuya!”

Kuroko was torn between shock at Akashi’s wholehearted happiness and irritation at his ridicule.

“Jeez~ Akashi-san, your teasing is not appreciated.” Kuroko turned his face the other way with a pout.

“I apologize Tetsuya! However, in all seriousness you look beautiful under the moonlight.” Akashi smugly stated.

“You will get no further reaction out of me Akashi-san.” Kuroko looked at the redhead, expressionless once more.

“Very well then Tetsuya.”

A tingly feeling fluttered around Kuroko’s stomach at the previous exchange, but he just pushed it out of his mind to focus on the scenery. Everything settled down as the two continued to peer out into the horizon.

“It’s almost a full moon, huh?” Akashi stated.

“Seems like it,” Kuroko broke out into a yawn, “Well, Akashi-san, I shall retire for the night.” Kuroko proceeded to stand up and walk towards the stairwell to the belly of the ship.

“Goodnight Akashi-san.”

“Goodnight Tetsuya.”

Kuroko thought nothing more of the simple banter the two engaged in. However, unknown to the merman, the compliments Akashi had made were completely genuine.

* * *

 

The next day, Kuroko had spent most of the morning and well into the afternoon dodging Kise and reading his new book at what was becoming his favorite spot. Unfortunately, Kuroko had finished the book rather quickly. Deciding to place the book back into his room, Kuroko ventured underneath the deck. As he reached the bottom steps, Kuroko began hearing bangs and clatters coming from one of the rooms on the left. Walking a little down the hallway, revealed the infirmary as the cause.

The room looked as if it had been ransacked. Papers lay strewn about the floor. Drawers had been pulled out and a few were scattered about the room in all sorts of unusual positions. Books were thrown about and all the supplies had been removed from their cupboards, which now sat abandoned. In the middle of it all, sat Midorima, frantically crawling around the room in search of something.

“-be here. It must be here! It’s not missing! I need it. I need it. I need it.” Midorima muttered to himself as if he were a druggy looking for his next fix.

Kuroko entered the room and approached the crazed man with gentle footsteps and increasing caution. Kuroko crouched down to Midorima’s level and placed a hand on his shoulder to notify him of his presence.

“Midorima-san, are you ok?”

“It has to be here. It’s around here somewhere.” Midorima continued mumbling out as if he hadn’t even seen Kuroko.

“What is? Midorima-san, what are you looking for?” Kuroko continued, trying to aid the green haired physician.

Midorima was still stuck in an almost trance-like state. Kuroko needed to break him out of this. Placing a hand on each side of his face, Kuroko forced Midorima to face him. The two sets of eyes met and finally recognition seemed to cross the pirates face.

“Midorima-san, are you ok?” Kuroko concerningly asked.

“Kuroko,” Midorima’s eyes widened, “I need to find it.” His eyes focused once more at the items on the ground.

“What are you looking for Midorima-san? I will help you search.”

“My lucky item! It needs to be with me!”

It took a moment of processing, but once Kuroko had understood that whatever a luck item was, it meant a lot to Midorima, he refocused on helping the man before him.

“What does your luck item look like?”

“Lucky item and it’s a book!”

“A book? Well, there are several here, does it have a specific title or color to its bindings?”

“No, its not a specific book. I need a specific type of book.” Midorima told the merman.

“What type of book then? I see medical books, science books, and a few atlases. Will any of those work?” Kuroko lifted a book in each hand as he joined the search.

“No, it needs to be a storybook! I have one around here somewhere, I just can’t place it.”

The two searched in silence for a minute or two before Kuroko realized.

“Wait! Midorima-san, I have it!”

At that, Midorima turned to the white-haired boy, eyes feral-like, but desperation clear on his features. Meanwhile, Kuroko stood up and made his way to the door, the greenhead’s eyes following his every move. The merman disappeared from the doorway, his soft steps sounding through the hallway, getting quieter as he got further and further away.

Midorima felt his hopes drop when he heard the slamming of a door. His eyes went to his hands splayed out on the floor in front of him. His mind turned to all the other times people left him after finding out about his peculiar quirk. Laughter echoed through his mind as flashes of scenes played out through his head. Hands grabbing his lucky item. Sneers thrown his way as he is held down. This merman was just like everyone else in his life that had made fun of him and Midorima could feel years of building up confidence shatter in an instant.

Midorima’s breath began to quicken. Gasping for air as thoughts shocked through his brain.

Why couldn’t people just accept him as is? He’d tried living without his lucky item and look where that got them! The one day he decided to try breaking his habit was his unluckiest day to date. If only people hadn’t given him such a hard time about it. If only he’d disregarded all the naysayers around him. If only he’d had it with him that day. Then maybe everything would still be the same. Maybe they wouldn’t be stuck on a pirate ship in the middle of the ocean. Maybe Akashi would still be-

All the sudden a brown, leather-bound, rectangular object thrust itself into his vision, interrupting his thoughts. Midorima had to blink a few times to refocus his vision, but when he did, he found a decently sized book that looked larger than it was in the small hands that held it out to him. Eyes drawing up to meet the merman he had just been cursing.

“Will this do Midorima-san? I haven’t had a chance to read it just yet, but I believe that it was a storybook when I picked it out from the bookstore. Kise-kun bought it for me before I even had a chance to-“

Long arms wrapped around the azure-eyed boy, pulling him in to a warm embrace. Kuroko felt his wet drops hit his shoulder but chose not to question it. Instead, Kuroko raised up an arm to pat and rub Midorima’s back.

In that short moment, Midorima could feel his pieces being put back together, creating a more stunning picture than the one prior. The first mate could feel one weight, lifting from his shoulders and another dropping in its place as he’d received acceptance from the one creature, he himself had doomed.

However, in the moment all he could do was grasp tighter as he let out years of pent-up frustrations.

A strained and quiet, “Thank you, **Kuroko** ”, escaping his lips.

* * *

 

Meanwhile in a pub back in the town the crew had fled from, a group of disgruntled soldiers were regrouping. The loud smack of skin on skin disrupting the rambunctious atmosphere of the bar.

“Idiot!” Riko shouted at the man with forked eyebrows.

“What’d I do?” Kagami reached up to rub his reddening left cheek, still reeling from the harsh slap dealt out by the brown-haired female.

“We could have been on our way back to the castle, presenting that blue-haired mermaid to the king by now, but you just had to let him slip between your giant, sausage-like fingers!”

“Mermaid? You mean that boy that was with… him?” Kagami practically spat out the last word.

“Dummy! That wasn’t just any boy! That’s the mermaid we were sent after! Would it kill you to focus on something other than your pointless vendetta?” Riko said with exasperation.

“Riko’s right Kagami. It’s time to forget about Aomine and focus more on your job!” The bespectacled captain chimed in.

“Yeah Kagami! Think about it this way, with enough blood, sweat, and tears, you could have Aomine’s old job! Isn’t that some sweet revenge?” added a cat faced man, while a silent man with black hair nodded along with him.

“Sweet Sweat, That’s good!” Izuki said to himself, pulling out a small notebook and quill to jot the horrible joke down as the others snickered at him.

Kagami, however, was trapped in his thoughts. Staring down at the scale that even in the dim lighting of the bar, shimmered a beautiful mixture of silver and cerulean as if it were in the sun.

_A merman…I didn’t even notice until his fin disappeared underneath the sea water. What’s Aomine doing with a merman._

His thoughts were all over the place. He couldn’t help but find himself drawn to the dazzling creature. Kagami wanted to know his name. After all, the boy had gotten one over on him, surely, he was worth remembering.

Hands slammed down on the table, jostling the tankards of beer that crowded it and gathering the attention of all the soldiers gathered around.

“Thanks to Kagami, we are going to have to start searching for the mermaid anew. Although, this time around might be easier seeing as how he seems to be travelling with a group of rather infamous pirates. Therefore men, we are hunting the miracles down! We cannot afford to come back empty handed. Enjoy yourselves tonight because first thing tomorrow we are setting sail for Rakuzan island!” Hyuuga exclaimed and raised his glass.

“Aye Captain!” The rest of the soldiers said raising their glasses along with him.

Unbeknownst to the group of soldiers, a certain shadowed figure in the corner of the pub was listening in on their conversation. He raised the hood of his cloak up over his gray hair and moved to get up out of his chair. Placing three coins on the table, he made his way to the door with one thought on his mind.

_I’ve found you…finally._

* * *

 

The rustling of paper and scratching of quill filled the office lit by candlelight. At the table sat the king, by himself, going through the different decrees that he was setting in place through the region. As he replaced the paper, he had finished with one to be signed off, his quill halted.

“Do you have something to report or are you just admiring my stunning good looks?” He spoke into the dark.

A figure cloaked in black seemingly emerged from the wall and bowed before the king.

“My king, the soldiers we sent after Lord Matsuoka’s treasure found the creature, but lost him immediately after”

“Surely you aren’t here to bore me with a report that says nothing.”

“Of course not my liege.”

“Then get on with it or get out!” the king pressed with irritation.

The man’s lips turned up into a sick combination between a smirk and a snarl.

“This is not just a simple merchild sire”

“Then what is it?”

“I cannot know for certain without real contact with the creature. However, I can say that I sense something within the child. This child could be the key to getting everything you desire.”

“Or he could just be any typical mermaid.”

“Sire, a mermaid with bright blue hair has never been heard of before. Besides, he’s currently being hosted by our old friends, Akashi and company.”

“Hmmm,” The king leaned back in his chair and placed a his fingers on his chin in a thoughtful manner.  

“That is interesting indeed. If Akashi has him, then he must be worth something. Very well, keep an eye on them for now. I’ll let Akashi ascertain whether or not this mermaid is something special or not.”

“Yes, my lord”

“And the second the creature shows any signs of being what you are insinuating he is, snatch him up and bring him to me!”

“What of the soldiers you sent after them?”

“If they happen to get to the creature before you, all the better. Whether I use him or add him to my own collection is of no consequence to me!” The king dismissively waved his hand and focused back on his work.

“Of course, sire!” The cloaked man bowed once again with one hand above his heart on his chest. He then dissipated into a cloud of dark black smoke that got sucked underneath the doorway. Both parties plotting their own nefarious plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, an update! Akashi and the rest of the crew seem to be falling head over heels for Kuroko, but why can't they? I hope people picked up on how Kagami right away treats Kuroko as an equal because I want that to be an important point. Also, who are all these figures shrouded in mystery? Stay tuned!
> 
> Hello Everyone! It's been awhile and I'm sorry that his update isn't the longest. I can't guarantee that updates will be coming out regularly from here, but I can promise that as soon as chapters are done they'll be uploaded. This summer has been generally chaotic, but I'm trying to get back to writing again and I do have plans for finishing this book however long that'll take. 
> 
> Lastly, Someone has brought it to my attention that it's weird reading Japanese mixed in with English and I see where they are coming from. This chapter is entirely Japanese free except for the use of titles (-san, -kun, etc.) I feel like from here on out this is how I will continue writing this story. I think taking away how the characters address each other would take away from the characters themselves so I will leave that part in as far as Japanese goes. 
> 
> I don't have this book mapped out yet other than key plot points so we will both be surprised with where it takes us! Make sure to comment with things you like, things you don't like, things you just want to share and so on. Thank you for all the support and love for the story and I'll see you guys in the next update!


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